August 3, 2003 - The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

John 6:24-35

The Reverend Vernon L. Suter

Last week we heard from John's Gospel how Jesus fed the 5000 who had followed him and gathered around him. They were following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. The first thing Jesus thought about when he saw this huge crowd was how in the world they were going to feed them. His love and concern was for the crowd of people whom he didn't want to see go hungry.

Well, you remember the story. He fed them all and had food to spare. The interesting part of all this is that today, in listening to our Gospel reading, we find that he's not too happy with these same people. He's not all that happy with them because they continued to follow him for the all the wrong reasons. According to Jesus' response to them this time, they were there because they liked the free meal. Jesus was right. That becomes quite clear in their behavior and comments as the story goes on.

Now, let's take a moment to consider why these people followed Jesus in the first place. Last week's Gospel says they followed him because of the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus had been healing the sick and this bunch of people saw that as signs of his holiness. Yet, when confronted by Jesus in today's Gospel, to not go after the food that perishes but to pursue the food that endures eternal life, and answered their question as to how to do that with the fact that they must believe in him, they thoughtlessly had the nerve to ask him to give them a sign. Although having followed him in the first place because of the signs they had seen, they now wanted another sign. Today, we might call that, really pushing the envelope. It was as if they'd never seen the first signs; the signs that motivated them to be there in the first place. They clearly said that they could not believe him without proof.

Seeing is believing. This mob of 5000 had already seen, long before Jesus fed them, but they seem to have forgotten all about that. All memory of that past healing was gone. How short their memories!

Seeing is believing. Have any of you ever said that? - - I sure have. - - - - During the conversation between the jews and Jesus, it became as if they wanted an itemization of what one is supposed to do to believe in Jesus. Jesus answer that God sent him, and all they need to do is accept that fact, wasn't quite good enough. This was a simple answer, but maybe it was too simple. Perhaps Jesus needed to be a bit more clear and say that the one work that God desires from his children is faith.

In addition, maybe the crowd needed an explanation of faith. If they needed such an explanation, maybe we could use one too. - - - - Faith, for which another word is trust, is all we need to enjoy God's peace, - - but what does it mean to have faith?

To have faith means being in a relationship with God that shows we are his friend. We are not afraid of him, or as is often said, we have no reason to fear him. He is not only a friend, but our Divine Father who loves us and wants nothing more than to forgive. Jesus ultimately died on the cross as a clear sign that we were forgiven; a sign many have also forgotten. How many people have you talked to who have done something they consider bad or wrong and all they can say is, "I'll never forgive myself." God, their Divine Father, has forgiven them, but putting themselves above him, they won't let go and accept his peace, and forgive themselves.

I don't want to get off the track here, so let's get back to the definition of faith. With faith comes a certain kind of life. We know what God is like. Faith in God means we must attempt to live the way God would have us live. So, - - moving to the question the crowd put to Jesus, "What is it that we must do to perform the works of God?", our first answer must be that God is love. Therefore, in our lives there needs to be love and service to others that emulates the love and service of God.

Second, there needs to be the forgiveness of others that corresponds with the forgiveness of God.

Third, we need to use our God given wisdom and our freedom to chose, to make sensible and Christian decisions.

Having said this, it kind of sounds like we need to consistently exude a holier than thou attitude and appearance, but nothing could be further from the truth. It really means we need to be open to our fellow human beings.

When Jesus ascended to be with the Father, he told Peter he was sending the Holy Spirit to be in us and among us. Making decisions that God would have us make, calls for consulting fellow Christians as to their viewpoint on things. That way, we are seeking the advice and counsel of God, which always works through people.

As to loving and forgiving as God would do, that's even simpler. No one likes everyone and we need to realize that. Jesus didn't like everyone either. That was very evident when he showed such anger at the people who were selling doves and the like in the temple. Most important, though, is that liking or disliking someone has nothing to do with love. Liking or disliking is about behavior, the things we do, and yes, the things we don't do. In other words, it is possible and acceptable to dislike a person's behavior and still love them. The key to living as God would have us live is in remembering the difference between loving and liking; the difference between the person and the person's behavior.

I have had clients reporting terrible guilt because they hated their father or mother. This kind of thing often relates to the clients' childhood. The problem is virtually always resolved when I can help that person understand the difference between behavior and person. A person is a child of God. The behavior is a product of culture, experience, or whatever. Behavior is learned, and often very worthy of hate. A person is born of God, and therefore always worthy of love. - - - -

Back to the question: "What must we do to perform the works of God?", to which Jesus basically answered, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

The bottom line is that the peace of God comes with faith in Jesus. Many drift through life seeking no serious purpose, faithlessly wondering, "What's the point? What can it matter?" The result, of course, is a hideous spiritual impoverishment.

To believe in Jesus Christ and the things for which he stands, the way of life he teaches us, the God whom he reveals to us, the grace and help he came to offer us, the victory which he makes possible for the least likely of us, is to have the doors of life flung wide open, with all of it's infinite possibilities. But it all starts with believing in him whom God has sent. Given that, all else follows.

Amen